The hallway opened into a large room. My breath caught in my throat at the ominous scene before me. I’d seen a similar room at Thunder Temple—a ceremonial burial chamber.

It smelled like incense, mingled with something metallic and bitter. Dozens of nooks lined the walls, each holding the shrouded forms of Monks wrapped in blood-stained sheets, their bodies resting in solemn rows.

There were too many dead for this to be natural. These Monks hadn’t died under normal circumstances—they’d been slaughtered.

Cragmarr stepped forward and held up a hand.

“What happened here?” he asked.

“The Amazon. They attacked when they heard the Shogun was assassinated. We’re trying to hold them off, but… the temple… it’s almost lost.”

The Monk was about to collapse.

“Ok, let’s take a breath,” I said. “What’s your name?”

“Li Wei.”

“Alright, Li. Where are you going?”

“A hidden passage,” he pointed to a wooden door. “We can escape. I… I’ll take you.”

Cragmarr grasped Li Wei’s shoulders to prop him up straight.

“The master of this temple. Where is he?”

Li Wei hesitated, his fear and despair clear as he said, “Master Xiang… he’s in the inner sanctum, but he’s wounded. I don’t know if he can help you.”

“Take us to him.”

Li Wei swallowed hard, his blue eyes darting to the bodies around him. I didn’t blame him for wanting to get the hell out of there, but he straightened and bowed with determination.

“This way.”

* * *

We arrived at a large set of double doors, slightly ajar, revealing a lit chamber beyond. Li Wei pushed the doors open.

The room was sparsely furnished, with only a few low tables and cushions scattered across the floor. An elf lay in the center of the chamber, his robes stained with blood and face pale and drawn. Several Monks tended to him, their expressions grim.

“Master Xiang,” Li Wei bowed. “These two came through the nexus portal.”

Master Xiang looked up to acknowledge us, his olive-skinned form draped in robes clinging to his wiry frame. The typically regal features of an elf were haggard, sharp cheekbones now accentuated by the pallor of his skin. His long, pointed ears twitched slightly with each labored breath, betraying the pain he endured. A gash stretched across his chest, poorly bandaged, revealing the crimson edges of the wound beneath. Silver hair stuck to his sweat-drenched forehead. Despite the severity of the injuries, a glimmer in his eyes remained.

He raised a hand, and the Monks stepped back, allowing us to approach.

“Welcome, my friends, to Radiant Temple,” he said. “Fengbao speaks highly of you, but I fear we cannot offer you proper sanctuary. The Amazons have declared war. They seek control of the nexus, and we have held them off, but our enemies surround us.”

“We want to help,” I stepped forward. “Tell us what we can do.”

Cragmarr placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm but gentle.

“Ember, if we stay and fight, and word reaches the Samurai of our location, it could spark something even worse. The Samurai might attack, and the Monks will be caught between two enemies. We cannot be seen here.”

“So, what are we supposed to do? Just leave them high and dry? No way.”

“You must go,” Master Xiang interjected. “Your ward is correct. While well-intentioned, your presence here brings us more peril. The Amazons want the nexus, and we will sacrifice our lives before allowing it to fall into their hands. Reinforcements are on their way—they will arrive soon. We will hold them off until then.”

I took a deep breath, the frustration still simmering. Master Xiang gestured for me to draw closer and studied me.

“Fengbao told me of your strength and passion, but now you must trust. Li Wei will guide you to safety. Take him with you and travel north, where he has family. Go now, before it is too late.”

“Ember,” Cragmarr said. “There is something you can do.”

* * *

Cragmarr led me to Master Xiang's side. His instructions were clear and calm as he showed me the basics of healing with Zii-Kata. My hands trembled, but I focused on breathing, letting the rhythm guide me. It was a strange sensation, like pulling warmth from deep within myself.

I placed my first Zii coin onto the wound of Master Xiang’s chest and felt my body tingle as it melted into his skin. It was subtle at first, but I could see the edges of the wound drawing closer, the bleeding slowing.

Repeating the process, I created another coin, then another. The wounds on Master Xiang’s body closed, and his breathing became less forced. My head throbbed, but I pushed through.

The other Monks observed silently, but Li Wei gawked like he was watching a ghost. The lines of pain on Master Xiang’s face softened, and his body relaxed, the worst of his injuries mended. He wasn’t fully healed but was stable enough to recover.

I stepped back, my entire body damp with sweat.

That was nuts.

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* * *

After recovering Zii, we said goodbye and departed for the escape tunnel. The stone passage was narrow and lit by the occasional flickering crystal notched into the wall. Further underground, the air grew cooler. Li Wei led, peeking around every twist and turn.

Trying to break the tension, I asked, “So, how long have you been with the Monks?”

Li Wei glanced back at me, an innocent smile on his lips.

“About five years now. My family sent me here when I was a teenager. It wasn’t an easy choice, but… they thought it was for the best.” He paused, the memories playing out in his mind.

“Why did they send you?”

“My family lives just past the border on the first farm North along the river. It was one of the most productive farms in the area. Or it should have been. The Emperor’s faction pressured us to produce more food, demanding we send them everything we grew. But we barely had enough to feed ourselves. My sister… she was the youngest and didn’t get enough to eat. One winter, she… she couldn’t survive it.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“After she died, my parents couldn’t bear to lose another child. They thought sending me to the Monk faction would give me a better life—a chance to survive. And it did, in many ways. But it’s not easy, leaving your family behind.”

“I know how that feels. Do you ever get to see them?”

“Every summer,” his tone brightened. “I visit them whenever I can. They’re always so excited to hear about my training, and I like to bring them little gifts from the temple.” He held up his small pack and shook it. “Except now I’m bringing friends—I get to introduce them to a Jingozi apprentice. They won’t believe it.”

He chuckled, a boyish grin spreading across his face.

“I look forward to meeting them,” I said. “I’m sure they’d be proud to see how far you’ve come.”

“My mother has a bad hip. Maybe you can heal her, too.”

“It 'd be my pleasure.”

We continued through the tunnel, the conversation lightening the atmosphere. Li Wei shared stories of his childhood, the mischief he and his sister got into on the farm, and how the Monks introduced him to discipline and balance—lessons he’d come to treasure.

Arriving at the exit, a cave opening pointed to the night sky. The sun would rise in a few hours.

“We’re far from the temple now, hidden in the cliffs, so watch your step,” Li tried to contain his excitement. “Come on, we can reach the farm by morning.”

The tunnel slanted upward, and we emerged into a canyon filled with pillars of glowing crystals. It was like stepping into another world. The crystals, varying from pale blue to soft green, cast a subtle glow, bathing the canyon in a gentle, muted light.

“Woah,” I said. “What is this place?”

“The Monks mine these crystals,” Cragmarr said. “They are precious resources used to power metal Golems and other machines.”

“Juggers.”

“Yes. How do you know about Juggers?”

“Long story, Crag.”

Li Wei sprinted ahead, shouting, “This way!”

As his voice echoed through the canyon, I heard a faint, unmistakable twang.

AUTO DODGE: SUCCESSFUL

Card Discarded [4/5] 80%

I ducked in time as an arrow whizzed past my head. Another arrow struck Cragmarr, bouncing and clattering to the ground. Li Wei was an easier target. An arrow hit him in the shoulder, knocking him off his feet mid-run and sending him skidding on the ground.

Cragmarr slid in behind me as I ducked behind a boulder.

“Li?” I shouted.

Peeking between two crystals, I saw the Monk on the ground, trying to drag himself to safety, but he was too far in the open. Another arrow pierced him in the opposite shoulder, making him scream.

“Those are not designed to kill,” Cragmarr whispered. “They are trying to draw us out.”

“You see him, right?”

“Yes.”

“Keep him in your sight.”

I threw a card, charging it to explode into smoke above Li Wei. Blinking to him, I dragged the Monk behind a pillar. A few arrows zipped through the smoke.

Blinking into the Jingozi area, I found our attackers. Three Amazon archers, strategically spread out in the cliffs, set up to snipe the cave entrance. Marking their positions, I checked my hand and blinked back.

“Hang on, Li. Don’t move.”

Cragmarr was right—the shots weren’t lethal, but they had to hurt like hell. Li Wei panted, trying not to scream. But the panic in his eyes was unmistakable. Cragmarr ran to us as arrows continued to ricochet off him.

“I have to get home,” Li Wei said.

“I know, buddy, and we will, I promise.”

Suddenly, the Monk took off down the canyon.

“Dammit Li!” I leaned out to launch my first card as a fresh volley of arrows rained down on us. Two archers struggled to get a clear look, their arrows bouncing off the column.

AUTO DODGE: FAIL

Card Discarded [2/4] 50%

I felt a sharp pain in my thigh and toppled over, but not before firing my second and third cards—all max-charged piercing shots. The arrows stopped, followed by the unmistakable thuds of three bodies hitting the rocks.

“Li!” I rushed to him.

The Monk clutched a shaft embedded in his chest, his blue eyes wide and glassy with shock. Two more arrows were lodged in his stomach. He crumpled to the ground, the life draining from him.

“Dammit,” I brushed my hand over his face to close his eyes.

* * *

The Amazons who had ambushed us were clad in striking blue outfits, their armor designed with flattering patterns and sapphire stones. They were fit, their bodies hard, and they shared the same sharp features and long hair woven with beads.

One of my cards had sliced through the throat of the first Amazon, leaving her armor painted with blood as she fell from her vantage point. The second card struck another square in the chest, the sapphire-studded breastplate offering no protection. Her body was contorted, and a bone jutted from her knee from the fall. The final card only grazed the side of the third Amazon's skull. But she was impaled on crystal spikes—still breathing.

Her eyes flickered with accusation as she jerked a dagger from its sheath. She drew her last gasps before her breathing stopped. The dagger fell from her grasp and clattered on the rocks. Cragmarr watched the scene from a distance.

“Ember?” he called. “Are you alright?”

“Not really, Crag. Not really.”

After lining up the bodies, including Li Wei’s, Cragmarr asked, “Are you going to loot them?”

“I don’t know, it doesn’t seem right for some reason. But I’m taking this.” I held up Li Wei’s pack. “Can we bury them?”

“I am sorry, Ember. We do not have time. More enemies could arrive soon.”

I sighed.

“Your leg,” he said.

I looked down to see an arrow embedded in my thigh, my Ninja pants soaked in dark blood under the moonlight. My vision swam, and I leaned on Cragmarr to steady myself.

“You require healing,” he said. “Let us find safety first.”

* * *

Cragmarr carried me to a secluded cave filled with crystals providing ample light. I was dizzy from blood loss and low Zii. At level 13, I burned through my Zii pool faster. I’d have to be more careful.

“The arrow is barbed,” Cragmarr said. “We cannot pull it out the way it went in. I have to push it through. Try not to scream. More Amazon might be nearby.”

“The area’s clear, I checked.”

“You did?”

“Can we just get this over with?”

“Sorry, Em,” he passed me a wooden stick. “This will help with the pain.”

I bit down as he began. The pain was immediate and excruciating as he applied pressure, the arrowhead tearing through the muscle. The stick fell out of my mouth, but I managed to muffle a scream using my sleeve.

The arrow emerged from the back of my leg. Cragmarr snapped the fletching off, and with a final pull, it was out. Blood welled from the wound, staining the ground beneath me. I almost passed out.

“A little longer, Em,” Cragmarr snapped his fingers for a Zii coin. He held it, letting the energy build before pressing it against the entry wound. The torn muscle and skin began to knit together, the wound closing as the coin melted into my flesh. The relief felt almost as intense as the pain.

Cragmarr repeated the process on the back of my leg, guiding the Zii-Kata healing process. The pain receded to a dull ache.

“It is done,” Cragmarr said. “How do you feel?”

“Like brand spanking new.”

Cragmarr shook his head.

“Hey, can I heal myself?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, no. It does not work that way.”

“Then why does your healing work so much better? You use less Zii.”

“My meta. It buffs my support capabilities.”

“Ah, that makes a lot of sense.”

* * *

I tried to sleep until morning while Cragmarr stood guard. Flexing my leg to check its range of movement, I performed some quick Zii-Kata. But things weren’t flowing—my focus was off. But I muddled through the routine enough to top off my cards and Zii.

“Are you ready?” Cragmarr asked. “We must move.”

“Yeah, about that, Crag. I’m not going until I take care of something important first.”